In the beginning, God created the heavens and the—oh wait, that’s a different story. Let’s fast forward. Oftentimes, people wonder who their future husband or wife is, what they are doing, and where they are. I was no different growing up, and little did I know just how close mine was. In 2011, Reed and I met through mutual friends. We were mere acquaintances and friendly in passing but were on our own paths. A few years later, we began hanging out and slowly learned more about each other. We shared fun experiences with our friends and even gave each other dating advice. I always admired Reed for his humility, kindness, and effervescence, which seemed so rare. I valued him as a sweet and dependable friend. Yes—Reed was most definitely in the friend zone! That is until he asked me out on a date in January 2016, and I decided to risk it. I was worried about tarnishing our unique companionship but the fact it was so special was reason enough to venture down this unexpected avenue. Our first few dates went very well. I was pleasantly surprised by how seamlessly our friendship blossomed into something more. Reed officially asked me to be his girlfriend on February 7, 2016—right after the Super Bowl (lol). In the following eight years, we finished high school, were long distance for four and a half years during college, traveled to many beautiful places, supported each other through new experiences, and lifted each other through tremendously tough moments, but most importantly we belly laughed from the very beginning and have not stopped since. Our relationship was built upon an unwavering foundation of friendship, which helped us grow roots in love, trust, loyalty, and more. Not only have we grown as individuals, but we have truly learned to grow together while making each other better every day. God most definitely had a plan when He crossed our paths so early in life. Saying yes to Reed on October 21, 2023 was simply the easiest decision I have ever and probably will ever make. Reed and I are thrilled to be joined by friends and family on our special day. We hope to see you on October 26, 2024!!